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While we have seen working remotely increase throughout the office sector over recent years, the current situation and developments surrounding Covid-19 have accelerated this to unprecedented levels with governments around the world requesting individuals to work from home where possible. Whilst working remotely provides many benefits including removing the need for commuting and offering increased flexibility, it does present challenges with maintaining productivity levels and staying connected to your wider business. We have put together a short guide with some tips on how to keep you and your business motivated, productive and feeling positive whilst working from home.
It’s important to establish a routine from the get-go when working from home, and trying to maintain your usual timings of getting up and going to bed can help with this. It can be tempting to overwork, so setting boundaries between work and personal life are important when both are in the same place. Having a proper lunch break and taking time away from your desk is helpful and if possible working in a separate room to where you usually relax can also help to maintain this separation.
Try to create a working setup similar to what you have in the office. Avoid sitting on the sofa or in bed, and if possible sit at a table which can become your dedicated workspace during the day. Comfort is key as a considerable amount of time will be spent at your new desk setup, so try and find a chair to support your back and help maintain a good posture.
We’re in this together. Remaining in regular contact with your teams is essential when working remotely, not only to ensure business continuity, but to maintain motivation levels. There are various applications connecting teams together online such as Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams, both of which are downloadable on mobile and desktop. These offer an easy way to message individuals or groups, hold voice or video calls with the added ability of screen sharing for when demonstrations are required. Scheduling regular catch ups allows everyone to stay connected, and can be particularly useful for individuals living alone, who will lose the social contact they benefit from in an office environment. At Workthere, we have been starting the day with a 9am team video call to check-in with everyone and set some action plan for the day, and we finish the day with a round-up call.
Another piece of software for businesses to consider is a VPN (virtual private network), which enables workers to access the company network and share files securely and remotely. There are a number on the market including OpenVPN and NordVPN both of which offer secure ways to ensure your team has access to everything they need and minimize disruption.
Maintaining productivity levels is to keep your mind active is vital for home working. Working from home can be quite mentally challenging for some people, and investing time into activities you find relaxing or stress relieving is important; some good ones include baking, cooking a healthy meal or doing a puzzle.
Commuting to work each day is often a good way of getting your daily steps in, which when working from home will significantly reduce. Keeping active is important for both physical and mental health and there are plenty of workouts you can do without even leaving the house. Many fitness instructors have YouTube channels or live Instagram workouts that include a variety of sessions form yoga and Pilates to HiiT to guide you through and keep you motivated.
It may sound obvious, but it’s important where possible to get fresh air every day, whether that’s taking a walk around your local park or even just going out into the garden (if you have one). Lunchtimes are a good time for this as it ensures you take a proper break and get some all-important vitamin D.
This might sound like a less conventional tip, but introducing plants into your house is an excellent way of improving air quality, and not only are they known for removing carbon dioxide from the air, they also remove harmful pollutants. Last year we put together a useful guide on biophilic design in the office, which ranked some of the best plants on their air enhancing ability, which could be great to incorporate into the home.
Listening to music may not be for everyone when working, but for some who are accustomed to the buzz of a busy office this can be a good alternative for some background noise. Our research found that two thirds of UK office workers think that listening to music at work is essential. Music can increase motivation and boost your mood. Our survey also identified the genres of music that workers most felt increased productivity, and based on this we put together the ultimate playlist to keep you feeling motivated throughout your working day.
In a world where we can be constantly connected wherever we might be, it is important to take a step back and disconnect your devices during the evenings. Often, when working from home, we over-do the screen time as there are no-in person meetings, so make sure you put your devices down at the appropriate point and pick-up a good book, exercise or doing something else you enjoy that is completely separate to your working life.
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